Something Beautiful
by Lady Elrayen
Summary: Merlin dreams of what could have been, Freya's death having affected him more than he let on.  Gaius helps Merlin grieve as the young warlock makes peace with all that has happened.  Please review! :-D complete
1. Something Beautiful

Something Beautiful.

Heya, this is my first Merlin fan fic, please, enjoy and let me know what you think :-) The song 'Something Beautiful' by Robbie Williams inspired me to write it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, else I would be happy. Very happy.

**26/10/10 - Just reposting this as there were one or two typos that were aggravating me. Also, there is a question in the author's note at the end. Thank you to all who have reviewed so far...! :-)**

* * *

_The way the sunlight reflected from the lake gave the illusion of thousands of diamonds shining beautifully amongst the mountains in the crisp blue sky. Beautiful, yes, but not beautiful enough to outshine the young woman who knelt on the bank, her dark hair flowing down her back in a carefree manner._

_The tall young man remained in the shade of the oak tree, leaning contently against its smooth bark whilst he watched the woman with cerulean blue eyes as she filled another pail with water. He smiled when she filled it and cast it carefully to her side with the other pail, before drying her hands in the apron she wore to tuck a brown lock of hair behind her ear that had gotten in the way of her vision._

_It was days like this, the man thought, when he was happiest. Just the two of them living their lives together in quiet bliss without the constant threat of detection was nothing short of welcome. Admittedly, he did miss his friends, but, for the first time in his life, he had chosen to do something for himself. It was not like he had left them unprotected. He was still in correspondence with his friend and mentor, and was often filled in on the comings and goings of Camelot, so much so that, should he need too, he could do something if it was urgent. Something that, in his old home, could have him executed for treason by means of fire._

_At least out here in the wild he no longer had to hide who he really was. At least out here, he no longer had to show this false pretence that he was satisfied with his life where he had to hide his true self. He was a happy person naturally, ever the optimist and cheerful, but having to hide who he truly was hurt. It hurt to know that should any person ever find out, they may put aside friendship for the law, regardless of all they had been through together. It was not like he had a lack of faith in his friends, in fact he thought the total opposite, but he could never ask them to live a lie by constantly lying to the King, and therefore commit treason. Out here, he was free._

_Focusing on the remaining empty pail besides the woman, the man's blue eyes flashed a brief gold as it floated a foot in the air as though held by a hand. Wordlessly, he positioned it above the water and carefully lowered it into the cool shallows of the lake so not to splash the woman who was watching it with an amused smile. The pail righted itself and floated to the left of the woman, resting gently in the small pebbles that crunched ever so slightly under its weight._

_"I would consider that lazy, Merlin," the woman said with a smile without turning around. Instead, she stood and let her eyes take in the beauty of the landscape before her._

_Pushing himself from the tree, Merlin strolled towards Freya, his feet crunching the pebbles as he stepped into the morning sun light. Reaching her, he wrapped his arms around Freya's waist lovingly and tenderly rested his chin on her shoulder._

_"I would consider it exercising," Merlin replied with a grin. "My magic that is."_

_Freya turned her head to face him and raised an eyebrow with a disbelieving smile that was softly captured by Merlin as he kissed her affectionately._

_"I'll never tire of that," Merlin whispered when he broke apart, his nose brushing against Freya's, "of us, our life."_

_Freya turned her body so she stood facing him. "Or our freedom," she whispered back._

_Merlin placed a quick kiss on her lips before sitting himself down on the cobbles and gently pulling Freya down with him. She leant against his chest whilst he kept his arms wrapped lovingly around her, almost as a way to remind himself this was real and that they were together._

_They had left Camelot almost a month ago, travelling through the early morning until they reached the lake, where they quickly set up shelter nearby. It was on this day Freya had opened up and told Merlin her secret. She had made to leave, expecting Merlin to regret his actions in saving her, but he done the very opposite, surprising her again with his love and devotion. Very quickly they had come up with the idea of Freya going to the middle of the forest where she could not be found until the curse wore off for the night, whilst Merlin would wait nearby to protect her and any who may have possibly been venturing to the forest at that time of night. Before dawn of each morning, they travelled back to their home together, sleeping for a few hours before welcoming the day. They were happy._

_The two lovers sat there on the bank for several hours, enjoying each others company as they watched the sun cast its many diamonds into the lake, only for them to fade every now and then as a cloud went over head. The birds sung happily around them as the day went by, gradually becoming quieter when the sun began to set over the mountains casting an orange glow over the both of them._

_"I have something for you," Merlin said as he brought his palm out. He felt Freya shift in his arms. "_Blostma_."_

_A rose materialised in the palm of the young warlock's left hand, which he offered to Freya. But she did not move._

_"You remembered," came the response._

_A smile formed on Merlin's face. "Of course I remembered." The smile faded as he looked down at Freya._

_"Merlin, you have nothing to be sorry for."_

_"Freya? Wha-" He stopped when he felt rain drops begin to fall from the sky, dripping onto them._

_"You've already saved me. You made me feel loved," Freya spoke quietly, her breaths becoming fainter with each passing second._

_Tears mingled with raindrops as they fell down Merlin's cheek, his blue eyes glazed with grief. "I don't want you to go," he choked._

_"One day, Merlin, I will repay you. I promise."_

~oooOMOooo~

Merlin awoke with a small cry, a tear trailing down the side of his face as he felt the weight of his heartache and grief wash over him. The silence of his draughty room seemed heightened as a sob escaped. A sob meant for so many things: what he had had, what he had lost, what he could have had.

As he rolled over in his too small bed, he felt something soft against his palm move slightly. Looking down at his left hand, his heart clenched, and, for the first time, he admitted himself defeated and cried himself blind.

In Merlin's palm, bathed in soft moonlight, was a single red rose.

* * *

I'm considering doing another chapter (maybe more) on request from one of my reviewers - do you have any suggestions or is there anything in particular you may like to see?

Please let me know!

Reviews are appreciated. :-)


	2. Denial

Hello again ;-) thank you all so very much to those who have reviewed – I really appreciate your support!

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, else I would be happy. Very happy.

Chapter Two: Denial

"Breakfast is ready, Merlin," Gaius' voice called out to the closed door behind him. He lifted the serving spoon and let some porridge drip into the two wooden bowls sat on the table with a wet splat.

Setting the pot down with more force than intended, the elderly physician sighed and walked up to his ward's door before rapping loudly on the wood. "Merlin!"

Still no movement, not even a disgruntled half-asleep mutter that usually followed in the mornings.

Gaius frowned in puzzlement as he put his ear to the door. Not hearing anything, he poked a finger through the hole by the latch and flicked it open, before poking his head round. "Merlin?"

The physician let out a relieved sigh at the sight of his ward, lying on his left side with his long legs bent, seemingly fast asleep. Merlin's breathing was deep, and his thin sheet lay forgotten on the floor in a crumpled heap. Gaius opened the door further to step in, the creaking causing Merlin to stir.

"Breakfast is ready, Merlin."

Merlin frowned, and slowly blinked his eyes open to the sight of his room bathed in morning sunlight. He stretched his legs, causing his feet to dangle over the edge of his bed, and rolled onto his back to bring his arm up to cover his eyes. As he did so, he felt a familiar object in his palm shift, and he clamped his hand around it tightly before remembering with embarrassment that Gaius was stood in his doorway.

Bolting upright, Merlin twisted round to slide his hand quickly under his pillow to hide the rose, but Gaius had seen it.

A blush crept to his cheeks when he saw Gaius' eyes flicker to the rose and then back to him, and looked away. Swinging his legs round to rest them on the cold floor, Merlin reached for his boots that he had discarded the night before and slipped them on.

He stood and walked over to the open door to grab his brown jacket from the hook. Pulling it on, Merlin turned with a sad look to look back at his hard pillow and then closed the door, before walking down the steps to sit at the table.

Gaius was already seated, and looked up to greet his ward. "Good morning," he greeted.

"Morning," Merlin replied quietly.

Taking in Merlin's appearance, he could tell that the young man had not slept well. His eyes were slightly puffy, and the dark circles beneath them made him look paler than usual.

The observant physician was well aware that Merlin had not had a restful night, as it had been in the early hours of the morning that he had awoken to the sound of quiet heart-wrenching sobs coming from the young warlock's room, despite the door being closed. Between sobs he had heard Merlin utter Freya's name in grief and desperation, and was somewhat relieved that Merlin had finally allowed himself the opportunity to grieve.

The few days ago when he had entered their shared quarters to see Merlin sat silently on the stairs, not much had been said. It wasn't until later that evening over their evening soup that Merlin had opened up and told Gaius everything. How he had felt to no longer be alone, the happiness he felt when in her presence, the candles, their kiss, the rose, their plan to run away... her death. For several hours whilst Merlin had talked, Gaius had not interrupted once, merely smiling when Merlin did, pleased and yet saddened at the happiness the young man had felt and lost. Through those hours, not one tear drop had fallen, though Merlin's eyes had shined brightly, refusing to shed them in the presence of anyone.

The time between then and now, Merlin had been quiet and refined, not the usual happy-go-lucky person he naturally was. Gaius had hoped that he would have allowed himself to grieve, but the warlock had not done so. It soon became so noticeable that Arthur, Gwen and Morgana quickly became aware of how he was acting. Gaius had to resort to telling them that Merlin had received disheartening news about a family member. A lie, yes, but one Merlin had asked him to use. If asked if he was alright, Merlin had merely smiled a smile that did not reach his eyes and brush the topic off.

"Did you sleep well?" Gaius asked casually as he took a mouthful of porridge.

Merlin looked up from his porridge briefly to look the older man in the eye before resting them again on the food before him; scooping and dripping his porridge back into the bowl absentmindedly.

"Mmm hmm," came the response with a slight nod.

Gaius was a little shocked to see tears welling up in Merlin's eyes, and felt his heart drop with helplessness. There was only so much he could do, and forcing Merlin to move on wasn't one of them. He wanted to help, but this was something Merlin had to do for himself, painful though it was to watch.

"When are you needed for work today?"

Merlin sighed and did not remove his gaze from his bowl. "Not until after midday. Arthur has things to prepare for, for when the five Kings arrive tomorrow afternoon."

To say Gaius was relieved at getting Merlin to say more than one or two words was an understatement. He gave a brief smile, more to himself than for anyone to see, and set his spoon in his empty bowl.

"I-"

"Do you want some herbs collected?" Merlin cut across, impassively.

Gaius blinked, rather taken aback, but quickly recovered. He understood that Merlin would think he would be needed to carry out an errand for him, as usually, when Merlin had some free time, Gaius would ask him to do one. Today, he had a different agenda for the young warlock in mind.

The only problem would be convincing Merlin it would help, as the young man would most probably dismiss the idea in favour for not going there again...

"No it's alright, thank you, I would like to get them today," Gaius answered. "It's been a while since I went herb gathering in the woods."

Merlin eyed him warily, not fully content with answer he had received. He didn't mind because, if anything, running more errands would take his mind off of the last few days.

"I don't mind, Gaius."

"No no, this old man needs to get out of the city once in a while."

Merlin turned his head and narrowed his blue eyes ever so slightly in contemplation of his guardian before him who ate his breakfast silently. Gaius was up to something, he was sure of it. A rarity though it may be, he wasn't convinced that he was going to like what the physician would suggest.

Gaius rose from his seat and carried his empty bowl and spoon to one of his work benches where a small pot of recently heated water sat waiting. Merlin watched him as he dipped the bowl in to soak for a few minutes, but did not say anything.

"Merlin," Gaius began with his back to the warlock. The sounds of the water sloshing around in the pot filled the room. "I think it may be for your benefit if you," he paused, "go to the lake."

Merlin dropped his spoon with a wet clatter into his porridge, his whole body tensing. For a few seconds he mouthed wordlessly as he tried to come up with an excuse, any excuse, not to go back there, his eyes threatening to spill more unshed tears.

Of all the things he thought Gaius was going to ask of him, this wasn't one of them. He had been expecting chores, errands, leech tanks that needed cleaning out, but not that. He suddenly felt like he had been plunged into a dark hole in the ground, desperately trying to claw his way out but unable too.

"Gaius," he said frantically, swinging round to look at the man. "I don't need to go back there. I'm fine, really I am. I've been able to carry on with my job, haven't I? I've been able to carry out errands for you... I'll do some errands instead. I'll take Morgana's potion to her for you an-"

"Merlin." Gaius turned to face Merlin and sighed. "I think you need to, Merlin. People are starting to worry, _I'm_ starting to worry. Look at you," he said as he walked towards the overwrought young man opposite him. "You're not sleeping, you're barely eating. If you carry on like this you are going to make yourself ill."

Silence followed as Gaius watched the young man. He was almost able to hear Merlin's heart thudding loudly as though prepared to run. He had to tread carefully... he was worried that if he said the wrong thing, the warlock would completely close off.

Merlin's gaze darted from object to object in the now seemingly very small room, in the hope that surely something could help him. He felt awful putting everyone, and especially Gaius, through this with him... it just made it all the worse. He thought he had been handling it rather well, getting on with daily life in the hope that externally, nobody would be able to tell he was far from alright. But Gaius didn't miss a thing.

"I'm sorry, I never meant to put any of you through this..." he said quietly, meeting Gaius' gaze. "But how can it help? Going back... _there_?"

Gaius gave a tiny sigh and sat down besides Merlin, placing a wrinkled hand on the young mans slumped shoulder. "I know it may sound impossible, but sometimes, visiting a person's place of rest can help you move on. Believe me, at this age I have had to do it plenty of times. Unfortunately, it is something everyone will go through repeatedly during their lives. It's accepting that we can't change what has happened and learning to move on that is the difficult bit, but will help us."

He heard Merlin choke slightly and gently squeezed his shoulder.

"It's alright to be afraid, Merlin."

Merlin sniffed, bringing a hand to fiercely wipe a fallen tear away. He breathed in deeply and straightened up a bit in his seat.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologising, Merlin. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Sorry. Maybe... maybe I do need this. I need to make my peace with the fact that she is... gone."

Merlin rose and surprised Gaius by heading towards his room. He suddenly stopped, and turned to the physician. "I don't suppose you have a piece of spare cloth do you? Just a scrap will do."

"You get your things and I'll get you some," Gaius said rising from his seat, his joints clicking slightly.

Merlin flashed a quick smile and walked up the stairs, returning a moment later with his scarf tied around his neck and the rose laying delicately in his hand.

Gaius emerged from the broom cupboard, a small piece of cream cloth in his hands. "Here you are."

Merlin extended his arm to take it and carried that and the rose over to the table. "Thanks," he said.

He flattened the cloth scrap on the table, and placed the rose in the middle, before bringing the ends in to gently fold around the flower. Once certain it was safely wrapped, Merlin picked it up and tucked it into the inside pocket of his jacket, patting it distractedly.

He abruptly stopped and froze, as though suddenly realising what exactly he was about to do and where he was about to go. Regaining his composure from his brief lapse, Merlin turned to Gaius and exhaled.

"Thank you, Gaius, for," he paused. "For helping me."

Gaius smiled and embraced him like a father would a son. "Thank me when you get back. Take as long as you need."

Merlin smiled back as Gaius patted him on the shoulder, and headed towards the front door, pulling it shut behind him, leaving a relieved and proud Gaius behind.

~oooOMOooo~

And that's chapter two! One (maybe two) more chapters to go...!

A heartfelt thank you to all of you who have reviewed so far – please continue to do so! ;-)

Lady Elrayen x


	3. Authors note!

This was originally a quick note, but not anymore! I have decided to keep this 'chapter' in for incase it confused anybody who might not have realised that I had afterwards replaced it with the actual chapter three... if that made absolutely any sense at all...? :-D

Anywho, please continue on with the next chapter... and don't forget that lovely button down there that starts with an R and ends with a W... XD heehee


	4. Healing

Hello! Firstly, I would just like to apologise for my tardiness... life has been busy! But I thank you all for your patience :-)

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, else I would be happy. Very happy.

Chapter Three: Healing.

The hour long walk to the lake was uneventful. Merlin had been subconsciously taking the very same route as he had when carrying the dying Freya in his arms. This time, he carried nothing but a rose and a heavy heart.

As he weaved around the trees and avoided low hanging branches, his mind kept wondering back to the last time he came this way. Today was the complete opposite to how it had been. Instead of raindrops falling in the early dawn, Merlin was greeted with the sound of birdsong and the warm feeling of the suns rays as they fought through the upper branches of the trees.

He remembered how, as they got closer to the lake, his arms had begun to ache ever so slightly as Freya became limper, her breathing faster and yet more shallow. Despite this, Merlin had never ceased to hold her close, their two hearts thumping next to each others as the living carried the dying, the warlock carrying the cursed.

All through the journey, Merlin had kept his gaze down on the forest floor as he walked, his nerves slowly letting themselves known with each passing step. He had no idea how he was going to react when he arrived, no idea how he would feel or what he would see.

Would he turn on his heels and run? Would he let out a loud cry? Would he see any remains of the boat?

His heart began to pound in his chest as these thoughts and questions assailed his mind, making his head feel light in what could be described as fear. His body tensed as though preparing to run, and for a moment, Merlin had to stop.

Resting his back on a tree trunk, Merlin looked up to the foliage above him as he took a deep breath to clam himself down. He could do this.

His fingers gripped the tree bark as though it was a lifeline, the rough bark feeling sturdy beneath his shaking hands.

Exhaling, Merlin pushed himself off of the tree and continued walking, again keeping his gaze on the floor but never really registering anything he saw. _Keep one leg in front of the other..._

It was some time later when Merlin felt rather than hear the movement of small pebbles and sand beneath his boots. He came to a dead stop and let out a shuddering breath.

Ignoring the warm sunlight shining its rays over his face, Merlin forced himself to take a few more steps, before he staggered: everything becoming too overwhelming. He squeezed his eyes shut and slowly raised his head to face the lake before him.

As he stood there, he felt many different emotions swirl around within him. Panic, fear, sadness, hurt, heartache, loss... Each emotion stood out for literally a split second at a time before forming back into the whirlpool they were in right now.

With a mental push, Merlin opened his eyes and froze.

Looking out to the lake, it was as though no event full of grief had ever occurred. The snowy tips of the mountains that climbed up the sky glistened white in the sun, bright against the clear blue sky. The surrounding trees had their green leaves and branches sway ever so slightly in the wind, the same wind that caused the smallest of ripples in the calm lake before him.

All his whirlwind emotions seemed to rise up as one, causing Merlin to let out a teary choke as they overwhelmed him, bringing the warlock down to his knees.

For what seemed like an eternity, Merlin knelt there, his breaths coming in shuddering gasps. The shock that had taken over him was dying down, quickly being replaced by anguish. His heart clenched at the normality of the scenery, but a small part of his brain was asking him what he was really expecting. In truth, Merlin wasn't sure.

Tears formed in his eyes that fell freely, leaving wet trails down Merlin's cheeks. Tearing his eyes away from the lake, he turned his head slightly so that he was looking at the pebbles before him. The same pebbles that Merlin had laid Freya down on in his arms as she spoke her last words and breathed her last breath.

Still on his knees, Merlin leant forward with his hands and crawled over to the same spot, using a shaking hand to collect a few pebbles and sand into his palm. He wasn't thinking, his mind was blank.

He knelt back on his legs and looked at the sand encrusted pebbles that looked so dull in comparison to the blue of the sky and colour of the lake. They felt warm on his palm after lying in the sun, but he remained oblivious. A sob escaped him as he clenched his hand, feeling the pebbles dig into his skin as he held them in a white knuckled grip.

And that was when a new emotion made itself known within Merlin. One he had not felt for a very long time, one he wouldn't allow himself to feel until now.

Merlin held the pebbles in a vice like grip as though by doing so he could crush them to powder as his breathing became heavier. With an enraged cry, Merlin pulled his arm back and threw the pebbles furiously into the lake where they landed with a light splash before sinking down to the bed.

Growling, he used both shaking hands to pick up more handfuls of the small stones to throw, over and over again, never ceasing in his rage.

He was angry. No, he was beyond angry, he was livid. He was livid at the Bounty Hunter for ever capturing Freya, livid at the people she had trusted, at Uther for allowing such people such as Halig to work, at the witches son who had attacked her and caused all of this, the witch herself, Arthur for dealing the mortal blow, Gaius for informing Uther, but most of all, he was livid at himself.

With a mighty roar, Merlin raised his fists and brought them crashing down to the shore. He punched and scraped at the ground, not caring for the bits of sand and stone showering him, cutting into his hands. Not even when one of the sharper pebbles ricocheted and cut lightly into his left cheek did he stop. Right now, he hated himself.

He continued pounding at the floor with his fists for what seemed like an age until he felt tiredness in his arms, the dull ache causing him to stop with a small cry. Too distraught to even bother to raise them, Merlin remained on his knees and bowed his face on the disturbed floor, the sand clinging to his wet cheeks.

Merlin had finally given in, and allowed his grief to consume him entirely. Hot, salty tears cascaded down his face onto the sand as he sobbed openly, choking and spluttering now that he had let his mental guard down.

"Freya..." he moaned, as the anger and hatred left him, leaving him with a feeling of helplessness.

Raising his head, Merlin raised himself so that he was on all fours, and slowly gazed out to the still calm lake before him.

"I am so sorry," he whispered, feeling more tears escape and drop down to the disturbed sand beneath him. "I should have seen what you were trying to tell me... should have realised, but I didn't. It's my fault you're gone, as much as everyone else's."

Exhaling as a slight choke, Merlin bowed his head before sitting back on his legs and letting his arms dangle at his sides, ignoring the soreness in his sand encrusted knuckles.

"I was just so happy to have met someone like me, who understood and accepted me for who I am that I couldn't put the pieces together." Merlin let out a disbelieving laugh. "I know Gaius knows, but, he doesn't _understand_, he doesn't know what its like for something to be beyond your control, to have it but not through choice. I'm just so sorry for what you had gone through. I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you. I should have."

Looking down, Merlin picked up a handful of sand and watched it as it filtered between his fingers, like the sand in an hourglass throwing away time.

Looking back up, Merlin eyed part of the lake that glistened in the sun. "You should have told me, Freya..." He inhaled shakily, "I could have kept you safe. I would still have loved you; we could have found a way. I still love you."

Falling into silence, Merlin felt that his emotions had calmed down, and that an invisible chain that had been tightened around his chest without him realising it had been there, had been released.

The occasional hiccup escaped him, but Merlin didn't care. He finally felt content and peaceful.

For a while, Merlin remained looking out before him, marvelling at the beauty of the lake, having never allowed himself to see it in this way. For days, the lake had been a place of hidden torture for the young warlock, a place of heartache and grief... but now, now it was somewhere bittersweet... even soothing.

Something sparked in Merlin's memory, and he brought a hand to his jacket, feeling the carefully wrapped rose in his pocket. He pulled his jacket open, revealing the white cloth that felt soft tp the touch in his palm, containing more than just any old rose. This was a rose that held his heart, his joy and so much more.

With trembling fingers, Merlin laid the rose out on the sandy shore, and gently peeled back the corners of the cloth, revealing the green stem and blood red petals. He looked to his right and spotted some ferns growing in the shade of a nearby tree. With a flash of golden eyes, several luscious green ferns tore themselves form the rich soil and bound themselves together to form a small intricate boat, big enough for the rose to fit in. It floated to Merlin and settled itself next to the rose, where Merlin gathered the flower and delicately placed it within the leafy confines of the boat.

Scooping the boat to his palms, Merlin raised himself to a standing position and tentatively began to walk forwards, only to stop when he felt the cool water lap gently around his worn boots.

A moment of panic took over, but Merlin suppressed this as he exhaled deeply to calm himself. Walking through the shallows, he could feel the gentle pull of the currents and the crunching of pebble and stone, with the occasional bit of plant stroking his calf before floating back alongside the current.

He came to a stop when he felt the lake bed begin to dip downwards into the depths, a resting place for many things lost in memory. With the cold water lapping around his knees, Merlin held back a shiver and ignored the numbness in his boot sodden feet.

Eyes never leaving the object in his hands, Merlin slowly placed it on the surface of the lake, certain it would not sink. The fern boat moved in a hypnotising way with the waters surface, bringing a smile to Merlin's face.

The young warlock wiped his sand encrusted cheeks with his palms, stepped back and raised his left hand, whispering, "_astyre' blostma_".

The fern boat and rose floated towards the centre of the lake as though guided by an unseen line, before stopping in the part of the lake that seemed to glisten more so then the surrounding waters.

Smiling sadly, a tear escaped down his now clean cheek, which he felt as it formed its glistening path that stung ever so slightly.

"You will always have my heart," he whispered softly.

Merlin turned and began to walk away to the shore, not seeing the pale hand that rose from the waters and enclose its slender fingers around the boat, pulling it gently back to the depths, never making a sound.

As the young warlock reached the tree line, he rested a hand on one of the trunks, smiling when he saw the boat had gone. "Goodbye, Freya."

Whilst Merlin walked away, the body of young dark haired woman slowly broke through the surface, stopping where the water lapped around her thighs. Despite having just risen from the water, her body remained dry as droplets of water trailed from her and returned to the lake.

Holding the rose to her heart, Freya smiled and watched the back of Merlin as he walked back to Camelot, healed and ready to continue living his destiny and protecting all that is good.

"Thank you," her voice spoke softly, sounding distant. "I will see you again, Merlin. One day."

_~fin~_

~oooOMOooo~

Et voila! I hope you liked this chapter, and the story for that matter ;-) thank you again to all who have reviewed... reviews are most welcome and bring a smile to my face!

Soooo, despite this story now being finished, please, if you are reading it now or some when in the future... let me know what you think!

I am currently writing another Merlin fic that will be uploaded soon! Here's a teensy weensy taster to (hopefully!) keep you interested –

_Blue eyes never left green as one figure lowered his hand slowly to his side. Both were breathing heavily, one from exertion, and the other from shock, fear, betrayal. _

Thank you again!

Lady Elrayen x


End file.
